1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the general field of storage and delivery of ordered items. More particularly, the invention pertains to an efficient automated system of storage locker bins for storing and facilitating the self-service retrieval of an article.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet has provided tremendous opportunities for the sales of products in the retail business. Consumers can easily go online using a computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), or even a cellular phone, and readily access a plethora of web sites that offer a wide range of products. Notwithstanding the fact that online businesses can offer lower prices to consumers because of lower overhead costs, consumers and retailers can be disadvantaged by the cost associated with shipping and handling. For example, the effective cost of ordering a bottle of shampoo and a toothbrush which might cost $4.00 could be $9.00 due to the cost of shipping and handling. As a result of the added cost of shipping and handling, it is currently impractical to order low cost items unless the cost of shipping and handling can be significantly reduced. Even for higher priced items, the shipping and handling costs associated with each order can be tolerable for an occasional purchase, but are prohibitive when added up across the frequency of purchase a consumer normally makes.
In order to reduce the cost of shipping and handling, more efficient methods and systems of delivery are required. In current delivery methods and systems, ordered items may be picked at a retailer""s fulfillment site in batches, but each order is handled in a singular manner. A recipient of a product may place an order to a retailer. The retailer accepts the order, packages the ordered item and then ships the package along with other packages via a package delivery service. Once the package delivery service picks up the package from the retailer, the package is usually taken to an initial distribution center where it is sorted according to the destination address of the recipient. It will then be shipped by air, land or sea to one or more distribution centers where it is resorted every time. Once the package reaches the distribution center that services the recipient locale, the package will be transported on a delivery truck, along with other packages to be delivered in that local area, to the customer-specified address of each package on the delivery truck, until the delivery truck reaches the customer-specified address of the recipient""s package for final delivery.
Inherent in these delivery and handling processes are numerous inefficiencies that in the end, result in increased cost. Firstly, the packages of ordered items are packed inefficiently for the entire distance that they are transported. This is due to the nature of trying to pack items of different shapes and sizes into a box or container that is large enough to hold all the items, with added packing materials to prevent the differently shaped items from damaging each other during transport. Secondly, packages are moved from cargo-carrying vehicles and package sorting facilities a numerous amount of times as packages are distributed. The packages are moved from a delivery vehicle to a facility and vice-versa. At each point that a package changes hands when being routed through a package shipper""s distribution network, it is resorted and grouped with other packages to fit onto the next cargo-carrying vehicle. This translates to an increased shipping and handling cost. Thirdly, each package delivered to its final distribution center has to be carried on an individual basis to the recipient""s delivery address. The packages are delivered to recipient addresses on smaller cargo-carrying vehicles and can only be delivered during reasonably acceptable business hours. If the recipient is not available at the time of the attempted delivery, a package may either be left outside of a recipient""s home where it is susceptible to theft, mischief, or weather damage, or it may remain undelivered until a further delivery attempt is made. The shipping cost is further compounded in instances where several attempts have to be made to finalize the delivery.
Analysts have predicted that the buying habits of mainstream consumers will change, in the near future, to one that is heavily dependent on the Internet. In addition to the inefficiencies described above, if and when this growth occurs, the current delivery methods and infrastructure will be vastly inadequate to accommodate this growth.
Given these inefficiencies, there exists a need to achieve more efficient methods and systems for delivering packages. The invention discloses a storage system for storing delivered articles. The system can include a storage machine unit with storage locker bins, which randomly store a delivered article destined for a recipient. The random storage of a delivered article means that the storage locker bins are not predetermined, such as in a mailbox system where a particular mailbox belongs to a specified individual. With the present invention, a delivered article can be placed into any available storage locker bin. The system can include means for loading the delivered article into any randomly chosen storage locker bin that has a capacity to accommodate the delivered article. Furthermore, an association can be made between an identifier of the article (article identifier) and an identifier of the storage locker bin (storage locker bin identifier).
The storage machine unit can include storage locker bins that are moveable about an axis, thereby providing access to a storage locker bin while loading articles that have been delivered (delivered articles). The storage machine unit can have bin doors that correspond to the storage locker bins, and the doors can remain unlocked while the moveable storage locker bins revolve about an axis during loading. The storage locker bins can be positioned so that they move vertically about the axis. The means for loading the delivered article can further include an optical reader, for example a scanner, for recognizing the article identifier and the storage locker bin identifier.
During retrieval of the delivered article by a recipient, the storage locker bins can be moved about the axis so as to provide access to a particular storage locker bin. The storage locker bins can be vertically moveable about the axis. The storage machine unit can include a set of bin doors, which correspond to the moveable storage locker bins to provide access to any of the moveable storage locker bins when the storage locker bins are moved adjacent to the set of bin doors. The set of bin doors can be stationary with respect to the movement of the moveable storage locker bins. Hence, movement of the storage locker bins is independent of the set of bin doors. Access can be provided when the moveable storage locker bins are moved to a position behind the stationary set of bin doors. The system can further have a bin door sensor that can detect closure of a bin door of the set of bin doors, prior to permitting movement of the moveable storage locker bins during the retrieval. Hence, if a bin door is open during the retrieval, then the storage locker bins can be prohibited from moving about the axis. This ensures that other storage locker bins cannot be accessed through the open storage locker bin door while the moveable storage locker bins are moving during retrieval. Some of the storage locker bins within the storage system can be stationary storage locker bins located at a fixed position within the storage machine unit.
The storage system can further have means to enable self-service retrieval of the delivered article by the recipient. The self-service retrieval means can further include means for determining which moveable storage locker bin corresponds to a code entered by the recipient, wherein the code can identify and locate which moveable storage locker bin contains an article destined for the recipient. The code can be one containing a recipient identifier, or a PIN code, or a code temporarily assigned to the recipient to enable retrieval, or any combination thereof. Upon determination of the storage locker bin containing an article for the recipient, moving means provides for moving that storage locker bin to an unloading position. A lock mechanism provides means for unlocking the storage locker bin that has been moved to the unloading position.
The storage locker bins can further include an adjustment dividing mechanism that can enable a storage locker bin to be configured into a quantity of storage locker bins of various dimensions. The adjustment dividing mechanism can include a dividing panel within the storage locker bin and a key operated locking mechanism capable of locking the dividing panel into different positions. A single key can act as a master key that operates a plurality of the key operated locking mechanisms. The storage system can further include means for tracking storage locker bin configuration changes and a data record for storing and updating the tracked configuration changes. The storage locker bin configuration changes can include changes to a quantity of storage locker bins within the storage locker bin (a quantity of bins within a master bin) and/or changes to the dimensions of the storage locker bins (dimensions of the bins within a master bin). An optical reader can be utilized to read configuration change data.
The storage system can further include electronic circuitry for automatically triggering a dispatch of an electronic notification to the recipient of a delivered article subsequent to loading the article. The electronic circuitry can have recording means necessary for recording billing information related to the delivery of the delivered article. This information can include an order identifier, an ordering customer identifier, a recipient identifier, a customer identifier, a package identifier, a delivery date, a delivery time, a delivery notification date, and/or a delivery notification time. The electronic notification can be in the form of a facsimile, an email, a telephone call, and/or a page. The time for dispatching the electronic notification can be customized to include a periodic notification and/or a time during which dispatching the electronic notification is restricted.
The storage system can further include reservation means for reserving a quantity of storage locker bins for articles to be loaded at a future time. The reservation can be general in the sense that the storage system can reserve a quantity of bins of a particular size without having to reserve specific bin locations. Alternatively, the reservation can also be one in which specific bin locations can be reserved. The reservation can be for a specific shipper.
The storage system can further have authentication means for authenticating the identity of a recipient prior to revealing an identifier of a storage machine unit (storage machine unit identifier) containing an article destined for the recipient or providing access to the storage locker bin containing the article destined for the recipient. The means for providing access to the storage locker bin containing the article destined for the recipient can include providing a temporary access code to enable retrieval of the article from the storage locker bin. The authentication means can further include a data card reader, a data entry keypad, and/or a finger print authentication device or similar device such as a retina scanning device. The authentication means can be located separately from the storage machine unit. An electronically controllable entrance door can control entry to an area of a facility containing storage machine units, the entrance door having a disposition to allow or deny entry controlled by the authentication means.
The storage system can further have means for creating a package location report having identifiers of storage machine units containing articles destined for a particular recipient. The package location report can list a temporary access code that can be utilized in conjunction with a recipient""s PIN code for retrieval of the article destined for the recipient. The storage system can also include an entrance station having a data entry keypad and/or a data card reader. An access card having a recipient identifier electronically stored on the card can be read by the data card reader. The means for creating a package location report can include means for validating an identity of the recipient, wherein the validation means can include reading the recipient identifier from the access card using the data card reader and validating the data entered on the data entry keypad in conjunction with the read recipient identifier.
The storage system can further include an access card having a recipient identifier electronically stored or embedded in the card, wherein the recipient identifier can be read by a data card reader. Additionally, a data entry keypad can be used for inputting a recipient""s PIN code. Validation of a recipient identifier and PIN code can cause the electronic opening of an access to a destination centralized pickup location wherein the storage machine unit is located.
The storage system can include a data record having stored therein, an article identifier and an associated storage locker bin identifier. The article identifier can include an identifier of the recipient. The storage system can further include means for creating a report listing quantities of available bins within the storage machine unit.
An embodiment of the invention can further be described as a storage system for storing delivered articles, including storage machine units having storage locker bins which can randomly store delivered articles destined for recipients and a processor communicatively interfaced to the storage machine units which can control a disposition of the delivered articles within the storage machine units. The storage system can further include a database communicatively linked to the processor, for example a server, and one or more application programs linked to the database for controlling the disposition of the delivered articles. Disposition can include, configuration of the storage locker bins for accommodating the delivered articles, loading the delivered articles into the storage locker bins, notification of delivery of the delivered articles upon loading, and retrieval of the delivered articles by the recipients. A loading means can be used to load the delivered article into any randomly chosen storage locker bin having a capacity able to accommodate the delivered article. An association is made between an article identifier and an identifier of the storage locker bin (storage locker bin identifier).
The storage system can further include means for configuring a randomly chosen storage locker bin or a specific storage locker bin to accommodate a delivered article destined for the recipient. A loading means can be used for loading the article destined for the recipient into a randomly chosen storage locker bin. The loading means can include means to associate a storage locker bin identifier with an article identifier, means for notifying the recipient of the delivered article subsequent to loading, and means for permitting the recipient to retrieve the delivered article subsequent to loading.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a storage system for storing delivered articles. The storage system can include a storage machine unit with storage locker bins which randomly store a delivered article destined for a recipient and electronic circuitry for automatically triggering the dispatch of an electronic notification to the recipient of a delivered article subsequent to its loading.
A further embodiment of the invention provides a storage system for storing delivered articles. The system can include a storage machine unit with storage locker bins which randomly store a delivered article destined for a recipient, and an adjustment dividing mechanism of the storage locker bins that enables a storage locker bin to be configured into a quantity of storage locker bins of various dimensions.
Yet a further embodiment of the invention provides a storage system for storing delivered articles in which the system can include a storage machine unit having storage locker bins that are moveable about an axis to provide access to a particular storage locker bin during retrieval of the delivered article by a recipient. The storage locker bins of the storage system described as having moveable storage locker bins can randomly store delivered articles destined for recipients, and the movement of those storage locker bins can be vertical about the axis.